The meeting, jointly hosted by the United Nations Commission for Africa and the African Union, will bring together African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development under the banner of ‘Industrialization for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Africa’. Dr Sobrinho will lead a delegation of African scientists, academics and policy-makers to Abuja to host a workshop on the role of science in the industrialisation and broader development agenda in Africa. During the conference, Dr Sobrinho and the PEI delegation will meet with leaders of the African Union and the Economic Commission for Africa to again promote the continued investment in science, technology and innovation on the continent, as the two most prominent organisations at the heart of this agenda. To date, only three countries in Africa have met the 1% of GDP investment target for science and research development made almost a decade ago (Uganda, Malawi and South Africa).